Bridgeport park fees going up

BRIDGEPORT - The cost of using the Park City’s parks, athletic fields and municipal golf course is set to rise under new fees proposed by Mayor Joe Ganim in an effort to increase revenue.

The Parks Commission last month became the first city department to raise fees, agreeing to increase the cost of a resident park sticker for the summer from $10 to $15. The cost to use a lighted athletic field would rise from $75 to $125 per game.

Non-city residents parking at Seaside Park on the weekends would see the fee jump from $20 to $40. They can avoid that cost by buying a Connecticut resident sticker for $25, an increase from the current price of $20.

Golfers hitting balls at Fairchild Wheeler Golf Course would also pay more. Under fees proposed by the Parks Commission, a round of golf for residents would jump from $21 to $25 and a resident season pass would increase from $400 to $425.

Tiara Richardson of Bridgeport, who was at Seaside Park Monday afternoon with her kids, didn’t like the idea of increasing fees.

“Wow,” she said. “Are they going to upgrade the park? It should not go up.”

Others city residents enjoying late afternoon sunshine at the park were not bothered by what amounted to a $5 increase for a yearly park sticker.

“That’s not so bad,” said Kathy William, who was at the park with her child. “Five bucks is not so bad. If it was $20 or $10, that would be different. I only live a few blocks away.”

Nester Nkwo, director of the city’s Office of Policy and Management, told a council committee last week that city fees — whether for building permits or park stickers — had not increased since 2008, and needed to go up to help offset inflation.

“There has been a 16 to 17 percent increase in the cost of running the city, and fees have been constant for the last nine years,” Nkwo said. “It’s a minimal, 14 percent increase. We are just trying to catch up and offset the cost of living increase a little bit.”